Apple’s new iPhone Duo is its first foldable iPhone and the company’s biggest change to the iPhone design in years… or possibly ever.
The device has a 5.4-inch display when closed, but opens like a book to reveal a much larger 7.6-inch screen, giving users considerably more room for watching video, gaming and multitasking.
Powered by Apple’s new A20 Pro chip, the Duo also features a titanium design, dual 48MP rear cameras, advanced cooling and two batteries that work together.
iOS 27 is specially adapted for the foldable form, including Split View that lets users run two apps side by side.
iPhone Duo supply constraints aren’t going away anytime soon, and Apple currently has no timeline for when they will.
If you missed the preorder rush for Apple’s first-ever foldable device, expect a long wait. Orders placed now won’t be delivered until late January. And the problem isn’t going away.
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: Apple just released the first touchscreen Mac in history — and totally soft-pedaled the touchy-feely part!
Instead, the company emphasized the screen quality of the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, including showing how great it works from mountaintops and forests.
Color us shocked! There’s plenty to discuss about this momentous Mac. That screen does look gorgeous. And a lighter laptop is always welcome. But that price … ouch!
Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:
Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in your podcast app of choice. Or watch the video version, embedded below. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!)
Apple’s iPhone Duo uses Touch ID instead of Face ID to unlock the device. The fingerprint scanner isn’t as convenient as having the handset simply recognize your face, but there are actually three ways to speed up the process.
One involves cutting out a step in signing in with Touch ID, while another lets you skip Touch ID entirely. The third is… odd.
Apple confirmed that there’s a problem with a small number of iPhone Duo units that causes the inner screen to spontaneously break just days after the launch of the foldable,
Replacement is covered by the handset’s own warranty.
iOS 27.2 is here as the first major update for iOS 27. Released Monday, iOS 27.2 addresses a few annoying bugs while also adding several new features and improvements to the iPhone experience.
Here’s everything you can try after updating to iOS 27.2.
Apple is reportedly working on an iPhone Duo Reachability mode that shifts the outer screen’s content to the left or right.
The movie is an (overdue) response to the criticism from left-handed iPhone users levied toward Apple’s first foldable ever since its September announcement. The outer screen’s Dock and other controls sit along the right edge, and this upcoming mode will make that arrangement easier on lefties.
Apple’s first foldable is also the most repairable one yet. The iFixit team tore down the iPhone Duo, revealing its internals and assessing its repairability.
Surprisingly, the Duo sets a new standard for repairability in the foldable category, earning a provisional repairability score of 5 out of 10.
Photos circulating online Friday show some iPhone Duos with distinctive-looking cracks in their folding screens. It’s too early to call it Crackgate, but the launch-day images might make some people nervous about shelling out $2,000 or more for Apple’s first folding phone.
Most of the pictures lack context. However, one user on Reddit posted an image of a screen that reportedly cracked after very little use.
By Sunday, even more images and videos have been posted online, along with theories about what might be causing the problem. Plus, the inevitable iPhone Duo drop tests showed just how fragile the device’s inner screen is.
Drop tests with the new iPhone Duo suggest that carrying the device without a protective case would be a major mistake. While Apple’s first foldable isn’t as fragile as some critics predicted, it is undeniably breakable.
Earlier tests show the handset can easily stand up to heavy use, but drop the device even once and you could crack one of the screens.
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: The first iPhone Duo reviews are a mixed bag — both the verdicts on Apple’s first foldable and the reviews themselves.
We go over the predictable pros and cons, toss out our own opinions, and highlight some of our favorite reviews.
Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:
Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in your favorite podcasts app. Or watch the video version, embedded below. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!)
Apple released iOS 27.1 on Thursday, but most iPhone owners won’t be able to install it. The update is specifically for the foldable iPhone Duo, which went on sale on Friday.
But don’t feel frustrated: iOS 27.2 is expected as early as Monday.
A fresh batch of iPhone Duo apps is rolling out just as Apple’s first foldable reaches customers. And that includes many very popular titles.
Software can make or break a new form factor, especially for foldables. Apps built for the larger inner display show more at once and adapt to how you fold the phone.
The iPhone Duo is special in many ways. It’s Apple’s first foldable iPhone, and its brand-new form factor means the experience of using it will be unlike previous iPhones.
Before you spend the day folding and unfolding your new iPhone Duo and admiring its design, here are seven things worth doing first.
Apple’s first foldable and its most expensive iPhone to date, the iPhone Duo, is now on sale.
If you placed your preorder early and secured a launch-day delivery slot, your unit should arrive today. Or if you are camping outside your nearest Apple Store, you might be able to pick up a Duo when it opens — depending on where you live.
Apple is reportedly testing prototypes of a second-generation iPhone Duo with Face ID beneath the display. The upgrade would address a frequent complaint about the company’s first foldable iPhone, which relies on Touch ID instead of facial recognition.
Plus, this is apparently another sign that Apple is working to get rid of the Dynamic Island from all iPhones.
The Tesla iPad app finally has a layout built for bigger screens. The redesign also covers the iPhone Duo, which launches Friday.
Until now, iPad owners had to use a stretched-out version of Tesla’s iPhone app rather than a proper big-screen interface.
Some Apple fans started camping out days in advance of the iPhone Duo’s release, hoping to get their hands on the first foldable iPhone.
However, with Apple confirming extremely limited stock for walk-in customers, even camping out days ahead of launch might not guarantee them an iPhone Duo when the foldable hits stores Friday.
If you open your new iPhone Duo on Friday then grab your Apple Pencil and start sketching, don’t be surprised that it won’t work. Apple’s first foldable will be able to use a stylus eventually, but not at launch. Still, that might change sooner than you realize.
No matter when the feature shows up, it’s the answer to a request users have made for years.
A tech reviewer took a novel approach to testing the iPhone Duo’s hinge, using a custom-made device to automatically fold the phone more than 32,000 times.
The goal was to find out if the Duo’s hinge got loosey-goosey after repeated folds. The result proved pretty shocking.
Early reviews of the iPhone Duo are in, and the results are generally positive. But certainly not always. Apple’s first foldable iPhone wins praise for its clever design and big inner display, but reviewers disagree about whether it is worth its $1,999 starting price.
Read on for a variety of comments from people who’ve had hands-on time with the iPhone Duo.
Apple is growing its American manufacturing efforts with new and expanded partnerships to produce components for the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro in the United States.
The company committed up to $100 million over three years to a Pennsylvania titanium producer, while expanding work with a Delaware company that makes technology for the latest iPhone Pro camera system.
It’s Apple’s latest move to once again remind critics that dozens of iPhone components are sourced from the United States.
Apple is moving up estimated delivery dates for some iPhone Duo preorders. Some buyers report that their orders will now arrive in November instead of December or even January.
Delivery estimates for the first folding iPhone slipped into 2027 soon after preorders opened late last week.
Picking up an iPhone Duo? Apple’s first foldable is also its most expensive iPhone, and probably its most delicate yet. The iPhone Duo has more to protect than any iPhone before it. It comes in two halves: an outer display and an inner display and a hinge that has to move freely without obstruction.
Unlike regular iPhones, the cases for the iPhone Duo are also special. To help you choose, we rounded up the best iPhone Duo cases from popular case makers, along with the standout options from each.
An EU regulatory document uploaded by Apple confirms that the iPhone Duo packs a 4,883mAh battery. That’s larger than the battery in the iPhone 18 Pro, but smaller than the one in its Pro Max sibling.
Unlike other iPhones, the iPhone Duo features two separate cells: one 2962mAh and another 1921mAh.
As Apple already immediately sold out of iPhone Duo units through January 2027, the company likely just sold at least 6 million of its foldable in a couple of hours. And the number might approach 10 million.
That means Apple may have just claimed between a quarter and a third of the global foldable market.